New BIOjet Abu Dhabi initiative

Etihad Airways, Boeing [NYSE:BA], Takreer, Total and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology today announced they will collaborate on a new initiative – BIOjet Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability – to support a sustainable aviation biofuel industry in the United Arab Emirates.

BIOjet Abu
Dhabi will engage a broad range of stakeholders to develop a comprehensive
framework for a UAE biofuel supply chain, including research and development
and expanded investment in feedstock production and refining capability in the
UAE and globally.

BIOjet Abu
Dhabi was announced one day after Etihad Airways conducted a demonstration flight
with a Boeing 777 powered in part by the first UAE-produced biokerosene from an
innovative plant biomass-processing technology. The biofuel was partially
converted from biomass by Total and its partner Amyris. Takreer, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), did the final aviation
biofuel distillation, adding the UAE to a handful of countries that have
produced and flown on their own biokerosene.

The Masdar
Institute’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, funded by Etihad Airways
and Boeing, is currently researching and developing salt-tolerant plants that
would be raw material for the same refining processes to produce renewable
fuel.

James Hogan,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “In collaboration
with our key partners, our goal is to support and help drive the
commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region and
also globally. We have made some important first steps in this process and our
continued focus will be to develop further initiatives such as this which will
facilitate the availability of sustainable aviation biofuels for Etihad Airways
in the coming years.”

The Etihad
Airways demonstration flight and announcement of BIOjet Abu Dhabi were held in
the run-up to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit,
hallmarks of UAE leaders’ commitment to sustainable energy development. BIOjet
Abu Dhabi: Flight Path to Sustainability is aligned with the Abu Dhabi Economic
Vision 2030, which seeks to develop sustainable energy sources to diversify the
UAE economy and increase workforce opportunities for Emiratis.

Jeffrey
Johnson, President of Boeing Middle East, said: “With further commitment and
investment, the UAE, a global leader in commercial aviation, is well-positioned
to lead efforts to make our industry more sustainable. Boeing, which works with
partners around the world to advance sustainable biofuel development, sees
great opportunity for BIOjet Abu Dhabi to have a positive impact in the UAE and
globally.”

Jasem Ali Al
Sayegh, Chief Executive Officer of Takreer, said: “Takreer is proud to have
been involved in refining this product at its Abu Dhabi research centre. We
support the concept of using biofuel as a sustainable aviation fuel for a
cleaner future in line with ADNOC’s sustainability policy. We see this strategy
as complementary to our future plans in meeting the rapid growth in demand for
jet fuel in the country and the region in view of the expansion of the
operations of airlines here.”

Bernard
Clément, Senior Vice President of Total New Energies, added: “As a long-lasting
partner of Abu Dhabi and responsible oil and gas producer, Total is proud to
participate in the BIOjet Abu Dhabi initiative, and to assist the Emirate in
the diversification of its energy mix. This demonstration flight – the first of
its kind in the Middle East - illustrates the capacity of Total to integrate,
as of today, aeronautical biofuels in a concrete and reliable way. Improving
energy efficiency and leveraging the potential of renewables have become fully
embedded in Total’s business model with concrete achievements in biofuels as
well as in the solar sector.”

Dr Fred
Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, said: “The collaboration for BIOjet
Abu Dhabi reflects our partners’ commitment to sustainable biofuel, a concept
that is currently being implemented from our side through the Sustainable
Bioenergy Research Consortium. We remain focused on identifying commercially viable
means for the production of sustainable aviation fuel and welcome the new
initiative that will pave the way for faster adoption of such fuel by the
industry. With our expertise, we will continue our contribution towards
offering clean energy solutions for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Etihad Airways
is an airline industry leader in supporting the development of lower-carbon
renewable fuels. A member of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG),
the airline operated the Gulf region’s first biofuel flight in January 2011
with a Boeing 777 delivery from Seattle to Abu Dhabi powered by a blend of
petroleum-based and certified plant oil-based jet fuel.